Jesus Christ

Introduction

Jesus Christ was a Jewish Preacher and the founder of Christianity, whose followers believe that he was the son of God. Christ's name in Greek means "anointed one" and has to be a title equivalent to the Messiah.

The life of Jesus is told in the Gospels written by some of the early Christians. Jesus was born into a poor family from Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary. Although Christian civilization has imposed the count of years from the alleged time of birth (which would begin the first year of our era), it is known that he was actually born a little earlier, it was in the days of King Herod , who died in 4 BC. (Barton 12)

It was precisely the Herod's persecution that led to the family after the circumcision of Jesus, to take temporary refuge in Egypt. The Gospel story surrounding the birth of Jesus in a series of miracles that are part of the Christian faith, as it lowers genealogy of King David, the virginity of Mary, the Annunciation of the event by an angel and worship the newborn by shepherds and astronomers of the East. Moreover, children of Jesus Christ proceeded normally in Nazareth, where his father worked as a carpenter.

By the age of thirty Jesus began his brief public life by joining the preaching of his cousin, John the Baptist. After listening to his sermons, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, when John pointed as an incarnation of the Messiah promised by God to Abraham. John was soon arrested and executed by Herod Antipas, rushing to continue his preaching Jesus Christ.

Addressed primarily to the masses, of which recruited a group of loyal followers (the twelve apostles), with which through Palestine. He preached a review of the Jewish religion based on love of neighbor, detachment from material goods, forgiveness and hope of eternal life. (Crossan 23)

His teaching simple and poetic, dotted with parables and announcing a future of salvation for the poor, found a certain echo among the poor. His popularity increased when news ran on the miracles attributed his followers as proof of the supernatural powers of Jesus Christ. This popularity, coupled with direct accusations against the moral hypocrisy of the Pharisees, finally worry the powers that be.

Jesus was denounced to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, for having publicly proclaimed Messiah and King of the Jews, if the former was true, and reflected a conflict of the new faith with traditional religious structures of Judaism, the latter ignored the fact that the proclamation of Jesus as king was metaphorical, referring to the "kingdom of God" and without challenging the political powers.

Aware that approached its end, Jesus had a final dinner to bid farewell to his disciples, then was arrested while praying on the Mount of Olives, apparently with the assistance of one of them, named Judas. Thus began the Passion of Christ, a process that would lead to death after suffering many hardships and with it gave his disciples an example of ...